Scorecard

London Colney v Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 2nd XI on Sat 07 Aug 2010 at 1:00pm
Match was Drawn

Match report TM II 208-7 (46 ov)
LC 100-4 (29 ov)

2 rain breaks - First at 21 ov stage of TMCC innings resulting in 14 overs lost (7 from each innings ), then 6 overs into LC innings , second rain break resulting in 12 overs lost from home team's innings.

THE REPORT

This tickle was supposed to go like a Swiss watch: We arrive. We bat. We bowl. We win. We leave. But when I introduce you to the unusual suspects, you’ll see why this raid on London Colney went off more like a Swiss cheese...

The firm:

Rizla (The Muscle)
Jimmy Caan Ahmed (The Deal Clincher)
Birdseye McDougal (The Honey Trap)
MC Rutchlow (The Draughtsman)
Petay Leslay (The NZ Connection)
Haris Ali Soomro (The Spin Doctor)
Nice One Ali (The Enigma)
Waqar Ali (The Patsy)
Yasir ‘Dani Boy’ Khan (The Usual Umpire)
Roger Luck (Kayser Soze)
Shakeel Durani… you all know.

We arrived on time and staked out the joint: so far, so good. Nothing to fear here. Rizla called correctly at the toss and we batted first, as planned.

Their opening bowler was a big man, but he was in bad shape. Even so, he generated a fair bit of pace and bounce, blowing Petay Leslay’s bloody doors off early on as the NZ Connection snicked a cheeky riser to the ‘keeper.

We were forced to call on The Deal Clincher, Saf Ahmed, far too soon, and the draughtsman, MC Rutchlow, hastily drew up an improvised plan: singles, and lots of them.

It was both a surprise and a delight for their TMs teammates as the pair kept the score ticking along and, as is so unlike us, one wicket didn’t immediately become two or three, or more. So, we’re about 60-1 with 21 overs gone and the rain starts coming down. It was heavy, man. So off we trot for a cup of splosh and an oily rag, before resuming the game (which is now 14 overs shorter, like what Riz said up there ^).

Of course, Saf only goes and forgets all what we’ve done so far and tries to launch one big straight away. He gets caught with his Leslie Crowthers down, playing a loose cover drive in the air, and he’s mullered. What a Jackie Brambles.

Enter The Spin Doctor, Haris Ali Soomro. The first ball arrives and he gets struck somewhere around the point where glove becomes forearm. With the ball safely ensconced in the ‘keeper’s gloves, our umpire, Chemical Ali, made Haris an offer he couldn’t refuse and he departed in angry and high-pitched fashion. It’s understandable, I suppose; no one likes to be caught out getting one off the wrist.

Now their danders are right up (and I ain’t talking Barnet Fair), so who better to get ‘em thinking than The Enigma, Hassan ‘Nice One’ Ali.

Nice One arrives, sporting his trademark mischievous grin. I have to say, it is always a pleasure batting with Hassan – not least because of the way the opposition react to his unorthodox methods. As is his want, Nice One immediately sets about the bowling, swiping one over midwicket off the toe of the bat, which prompted some Alan Border verbals from the bowler. “What the fackin ‘ell was that?” he says.

Nice One replies with a nice one: “Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?” A confused bowler headed back to his mark and charged in again. But no amount of effort will do today for London Colney’s bowlers.

It’s boom time for TMs as Hassan waters the green shoots of our innings and the oppo are forced into a period of recession. Nice One is slamming the ball all over the place, but also adding some subtlety with three reverse, erm, dobs over the ‘keeper’s head which resulted in their skipper posting a man there. Nice try but you simply can’t set a field to Nice One, who made an entertaining 50. And when his partner MC Rutchlow departed for 69, Birdseye McDougal chipped in with well crafted 22. The Nice One ran Rob out. He's an enigma wrapped up in a wassername, locked inside a thingy, is our Nice one.

With The Rizla strongarming a rapid 22 n.o. in the final few overs, we posted 208-7 off 47. Not bad considering a) the rain break and b) the fact that, up until this point, we had only posted 200+ four times this season.

So time for more splosh and a bit of grub and then we hit the turf running to finish the blag.

Well, we did until the rain came again.

To be fair, 209 off 40 overs was a decent ask and they sent in their big guns to open, hoping for a flyer. But tight bowling form The Rizla and Shakeel meant there was little to go after and when their innings was reduced to 29 overs by a heavy shower, they were never going to go for it.

We ended up taking four wickets and leaving with 14 points, four more than if we’d been washed out, so well worth exerting pressure on their umpire to make a game of it. Is it enough to keep us safe though?

Safe? You must be crackers. Although if you want truly loop the loop, I have a feeling the game against Harpenden 3s might be the game to read about.

What a season. It’s been emotional.

Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 2nd XI Batting
208 for 6
Player Name RunsCatchesStumpingsRun outs
Peter Leslie Caught  1
Matt Crutchlow Caught  69
Sarfraz Ahmed Caught  23
Haris Ali Soomro Caught  0
Hassan Ali Bowled  50 1
Rob McDougall Run out  22 1
Rizwan Siddiqui Not Out  22
Shakeel Durrani Not Out  3
Waqar Ali  
Yasir Khan  
Roger Luck  

London Colney Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

London Colney Batting
100 for 4
Player name Runs
S Fretter Bowled  Haris Ali Soomro 34
T Ray Lbw  Siddiqui 0
A Fisher Run out  (Hassan Ali-Rob McDougall) 47
S Hadley Caught  Durrani 8
T Holloway Not Out  3
T Fretter Not Out  0
   
   
   
   
   

Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Rizwan Siddiqui9.0117117.001.89
Shakeel Durrani8.0128128.003.50
Roger Luck6.012300.003.83
Sarfraz Ahmed3.001700.005.67
Haris Ali Soomro2.00818.004.00
Hassan Ali1.00100.001.00

  • Umpire :
    ali kazmi
  • Scorer :
    ansab